Vikings stadium bill only “days away”

Posted by Mike Florio on March 31, 2011, 10:45 PM EDT

AP

Lost in the lockout is the fact that the Vikings are hoping to secure for themselves a new stadium in which to play their home games. Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that a bill that would lead to the construction of the new venue is expected to be introduced to the Minnesota legislature soon.

“My understanding from the bill authors is we’re getting close,” said Ted Mondale, who runs the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. “How they want to handle it is obviously up to them. It’s to the point now where the majority over at the Capitol now have their bill together and they’re going to bring it out.”

Should Vikings fans (those, that is, who don’t live in Los Angeles) be optimistic?

“I think it can happen this year. I think it’s probably as good a shot as ever,” Mondale said. “The governor [Mark Dayton] would like to see it, and has laid out what he’d like to see. You can’t pass a bill like this unless the governor is supportive of it. [Former governor Tim] Pawlenty was saying, ‘Maybe, yes, no,’ and when he said, ‘I’m not going to vote for it,’ it just can’t get done.”

Still, as the Associated Press explains it, a debate remains regarding whether public money should be used to build the stadium. Though the Vikings contend that the team has generated $186 million in local tax revenue since the Metrodome opened, some believe that government should not subsidize private business, regardless of the public benefit.

Then there’s the fact that, in a work stoppage, the public benefit disappears.

The Vikings don’t deserve a red cent of public money. They can’t even sell out their home playoff games without needing extensions and local companies buying up all remaining tickets. They had to rely on Favre to generate any excitement. Bottom feeding franchise. Minnesota is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) hockey markets in the country and they couldn’t even keep their hockey team.

saberstud75 says:Mar 31, 2011 10:54 PM

If the bill has anything that hints toward using taxpayer money to build the stadium it will flop like Brett Favre’s 2010 comeback.

The most recent poll says that 75% of voters DO NOT want to pay for a new stadium for the Vikings. Local congress has stated that the Vikings are to be treated like any other business in the area, which means they must pay for their own buildings and infrustructure.

No governor is going to fall on his sword and vote for a bill when the opposition is that strong against using taxpayer’s money for it.

pooflingingmonkey says:Mar 31, 2011 10:54 PM

Hey Minnesotans! Wanna pay for a stadium in which there might not be any football this year?

I hope that a stadium gets built but i find it unlikely that that anything will get passed with a Republican house and a Democratic Governor.. Just like every other piece of legislation that has come up this session. Its gridlock.

claymatthewsisonsteroids says:Mar 31, 2011 11:39 PM

Here comes another publicly financed stadium for the financially struggling owners by, oh wait, the same fans they are locking out! What a joke.

The problem is, the NFL plays cities against each other for the “privilege” of having an NFL team, which pressures municipalities to vote to use public fund for private enterprise.

The feds seriously ought to consider making the use of tax money to build stadiums illegal everywhere in the country. That way there’s no motivation to leave for another city, unless the team is free of its lease and feels it can simply make more money there.

jimmysee says:Apr 1, 2011 12:22 AM

So what do those tea party nut jobs have to say about these two democrats who are trying to get a stadium built for the Vikes?

Let the hostage taking begin.
L.A. is building a billion dollar bargaining chip and the owners are milking it at taxpayer expense.

wtfru2 says:Apr 1, 2011 3:36 AM

Last I heard Red McCombs was ready to kick in a couple of Toyotas to make this all happen…

OOps that was a couple of Fords…..

contra74 says:Apr 1, 2011 4:25 AM

Thumbs up if you would like JimmySmiths contact information posted on here.

Ian McConnell says:Apr 1, 2011 5:10 AM

I’d like to take a quick moment to make sure all the Vikings fans in L.A. have read this.

That is all.

kennyrogerschicken says:Apr 1, 2011 6:20 AM

$186 million doesn’t seem like much considering how long the Vikes have played at the Dump. Good luck getting it passed with tax payer money. I’m sure the fans will have no problems paying for a stadium in the midst of a lockout, not to mention the non – sports fans who probably would love to see another stadium built instead of spending money on other things, like the million potholes on every Minneapolis road.

gbfanforever says:Apr 1, 2011 6:48 AM

It sounds like Pawlenty was waiting to see which way the wind was blowing any given day. There’s some leadership for you.

They had a tax increase to support the arts in the twin cities that the whole state is paying for without a vote. So the people that dont like sports thats just 2 bad. Compare the revenue generated by a musical -vs- a football game.

The twin cities should have toll roads so the people that use the roads pay for the majority of the repairs instead of taking the money from the out of metro road funds.. Do you want any more examples on how people pay for things with there tax dollars that they do not approve of .

$186 million in tax revenue? $170 million of that is from the multi-level parking garages at least 8 blocks away from the stadium. The Metrodump detracts from the fan experience with their pumped in noise and too many seats too far away from the field so anything they do has to be an improvement because they couldn’t do any worse.

That’s not saying the bill will pass, Minnesota politicians are actually dumber than the fan base if that is even humanly possible.

stellarperformance says:Apr 1, 2011 7:32 AM

clawledge says: Mar 31, 2011 11:44 PM
As a Packer fan, I hope the Vikings get a new stadium in Minnesota.
——————————————————————-

Ditto. Preferably open-air.

hodag54501 says:Apr 1, 2011 7:41 AM

No one who is a Packers fan should diss the Vikings if they take public money. The Packers did to build their new stadium.(Note: I’m a Packers fan).
The fact is the public has been brainwashed into thinking that tax money spent on almost anything(except the military) is a waste of money.
The owner(and the NFL) should pay for the lion’s share of the stadium(really its the fans who are paying but that’s another story), but tax money spent on the stadiums is money well spent.
The refurbished Lambeau stadium is providing millions of dollars to the Green Bay economy. While many wax nostalgic about the old Lambeau stadium, the new field has produced record revenue and positioned the franchise to win the Super Bowl. The facilities are close to state of the art.
This harkens back to the idea that you need to spend money to make money. You need to spend money on infrastructure if you want the economy to grow, contrary to the beliefs of some and the brainwashing that has occured.
If Minnesotans see the long term, they are better off with the Vikings there in a new stadium than in Los Angeles, a city where the folks are all too cool to care about professional football.

vetdana says:Apr 1, 2011 7:41 AM

L.A. is building a billion dollar bargaining chip..

Where is all the new fan money coming from in LA to support the new LA Vikings ? Why did the Rams & Raiders leave, if not for lack off fan support ? The economy is in a shambles out there and I see the Vikes moving from LA in 5 years after the move.Grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. Greed to no end !!

johnnyb216 says:Apr 1, 2011 7:49 AM

A part of me will be sad when this is finally settled. I really enjoy watching Viking fans squirm at the thought of their team moving to la. I guess watching the devastation on their faces as they lose yet another professional sports franchise will have to be good enough.

shieldsisland37 says:Apr 1, 2011 8:13 AM

The turf/dome used to be an advantage for the Vikes when they played the Packers. Not anymore. Now that Rodgers thrives in domes and turf, the Vikes NEED an outdoor stadium. Just look at how Rodgers torched Atlanta, and the Vikes at home this year. TORCHED. If Minny wants to slow down the Pack offense, not only do they need better players, but they NEED an outdoor stadium so in the muck and cold they can grind AP at us. End of conversation. If Minny fans want to beat the Pack, then need to pay for an outdoor stadium. Winning does not come cheap.

Why the Vikings are the most inept team in professional sports history

** 4 Superbowl losses

** 5 straight losses in NFC Championship games

**Gary Anderson who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining in NFC championship game that most likely puts Vikes in Superbowl in 98.

**in 2003 Arizona’s last second touchdown on 4th and 28 against Vikings eliminated Vikings from playoffs. The moment of Arizona’s touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn’t led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6-0 start

**The “Hail Mary” pass Drew Pearson caught against the Vikes in 75 NFC championship to give Dallas the win in the final minute.

**Jim Marshall’s wrong way run

**The Herschel Walker trade in which Vikings gave Dallas three 1st rounders, three 2nd rounders, plus a 3rd and a 6th rounder in addition to 5 players. Walker lasts only 3 seasons in Minnesota
** In 1999 the Vikings select Michigan State Defensive end Dimitrius Underwood with the 29th overall pick. Underwood spent one day in camp and walked out. It was eventually shown Underwood suffered from mental Illness. The ineptness of the Vikings comes into play because his coaches at Michigan State warned NFL scouts that he was not mentally stable enough to play in the NFL.
.
**Vikings despite being favored, The Vikings lose 41-0 in NFC championship game in 2000.
**Green Bays Antonio Freeman makes one of the all time great miracle catches in overtime to defeat Vikings in 2000
**2003 In yet another move of ineptness the Vikings are on the board in the first round of the 2003 draft with the 7th overall pick. The Vikings missed the deadline to make the pick. Meanwhile, the two teams immediately behind Minnesota on the board Jacksonville and Carolina rushed their cards to the podium in New York and made their picks before the Vikings.
** With 19 seconds remaining in the 2010 NFC Championship game the Vikings call a timeout on 3rd and 10 at the Saints 33 yard line. They had one timeout remaining, so the smart money was on them running the ball and hoping to gain four to five yards — thus setting up an approximately 45-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. On that next play the Vikings are penalized for 12 men in the huddle. The penalty pushed them out of FG range and most likely cost them a trip to the Superbowl. See below for nail in the coffin on the next play
**2010 Favre`s 4th down 4th quarter interception with seconds remaining vs Saints in NFC championship puts New Orleans in Superbowl.
* Between 1986 and 1990, nine Vikings were arrested for drunken driving, and receiver Buster Rhymes was treated for cocaine dependency.

* 1995, Star Minnesota Vikings quarterback Warren Moon is arrested in Houston and charged with misdemeanor assault after he slapped his wife, choking her “nearly to the point of unconsciousness.” Moon is later acquitted after his wife refuses to testify. A few months previously, Moon had been charged with sexual assault by a Vikings cheerleader in a case that was settled out of court.

* That year, Moon allegedly struck his wife in the head with an open hand and choked her to the point where she almost passed out, according to police in Missouri City, Texas.

She did not press charges and, although the case went to trial anyway, Moon was found not guilty.

* In 1995, the Star Tribune reported that the Vikings paid $150,000 to head off a sexual harassment suit against Vikings assistant coach Richard Solomon, coach Dennis Green’s closest friend on the staff.

* In 1999, safety Orlando Thomas was disciplined by the NFL after pleading no contest to the misdemeanor charge of simple battery on his wife.

* In 2002, receiver Randy Moss knocked a traffic cop to the ground with his car, then was charged with drug possession. He later reached an out-of-court settlement with the officer.

* In 2002, two women claimed to be sexually assaulted at the team’s Arctic Blast fundraiser.

* In 2004, linebackers E.J. Henderson and Michael Nattiel and tight end Steve Farmer were arrested after officers said they saw the players assaulting a man outside the Tabu nightclub in Minneapolis.

* In 2005, running back Onterrio Smith was suspended by the NFL for a year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, two months after being caught at an airport with The Original Whizzinator, a kit designed to circumvent drug tests.

* Also in 2005, coach Mike Tice was fined by the NFL for scalping Super Bowl tickets, and defensive tackle Kevin Williams was arrested on charges of domestic abuse.

* Wide receiver Kelly Campbell driving a stolen SUV high with a stolen and weapon, with 16 grams of marijuana

* Daunte Culpepper’s SUV involved in drug arrest

* Former running back Ted Brown was indicted by a Mille Lacs County grand jury in late 2003 on first-and third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges after an incident at a team function on Lake Mille Lacs. He remains free on bail.

Brown is charged in a February 2003 incident during the Vikings’ annual Arctic Blast event at Eddy’s Resort. Prosecutors allege that Brown forced sex on an intoxicated woman who was unable to consent.
*Koren Robinson getting a DUI
* Tommy Kramer DUI
* Donald Igwebuike involved in drug trafficking
* Robert Tate threatening to have the mother of his child beaten up by his cousin
* Kenny Mixon not 1, not 2, but 3 DUI’s while with the team
* Former Executive Mike Kelly getting a DUI going to bail out players at the Arctic Blast
* Denny Green Sexual Harassment Allegations
* EJ Henderson DUI * *While every team makes draft blunders I especially like this one. In 2005 the Vikings passed on Aaron Rodgers … twice. Once, to draft wide receiver Troy Williamson at No. 7 and again at No. 18 picking defensive end Erasmus James. Neither lived up to their hype and even more noteworthy both aren’t on the roster
* January 2011 Vikings De Everson Griffin being arrested 2 times within 3 days. He was Drunk in public and then 3 days later was tased by the police after trying to run away after being pulled over for suspicion of felony battery.
* 2010 Vikings trade a 3rd round draft pick to Patriots for WR Randy Moss. Moss is cut 4 games later

*Oh, yeah, that whole sex boat scandal too.
*2011 Former Vikings qb Warren Moon came up with this genius quote regarding Auburn QB Cam Newton. ” A lot of the criticism he’s receiving is unfortunate and racially based, Moon told Freeman. “ thought we were all past this. I don’t see other quarterbacks in the draft being criticized by the media or fans…”
* 2011 Vikings sign Johnny Jolly ??
I`m sure there are things I missed but this is why

I believe the Vikings are the most inept team Professional sports history

the reason why gov. pawlenty was so wishy washy was because he was already out the door and he was/is focused on making a run at the presidency. he did not want to sign off on a stadium bill when he’s not going to even be in office while its being constructed.

with that said, MN finally has a voice from the governor. one who actually has stepped up and said that he would fully support and pass a stadium bill if one was drawn up.

now it’s happening. people may like it or not, but the vikings are getting a new stadium. whether its privately funded or backed by tax payers.

@aznredneck
Feel free to make your own list of any team you desire .Just make sure it is factual. I don`t think you will find any other team that compares to the Vikings. I could be wrong but I highly doubt it.
As usual before anyone could defend the Vikings ineptness they must state the following about me.

*Im obsessed and have to much time on my hands
*I live in my parents basement
*I`m an inbred
*The ever popular gay references
*Pointing out spelling and grammatical errors to show lack of education
*Changing my screen name into something juvenile
*I`m a mouth breather
You know the typical things Vikings fans say when they can`t defend their inept franchise.

bigpurple72 says:Apr 1, 2011 9:34 AM

Mountaindont, great research, you truly have too much time on your hands. But congrats…if you don’t have anything else going on, please post related incidents for every other NFL team in the past 25 years…I’m fairly sure that you’d see as many if not more ‘digressions’ for most other teams as well. You’re not inventing the wheel here.

hodag54501…let me clarify some things for you….as you are comparing apples to oranges.

First..that Packers are a publicly owned/held team…the Vikings are the property of Ziggy. By default…Ziggy should be able to pay for his own stadium.

Second…the Packers rennovated an existing stadium which resulted in a significant cost savings over building a new stadium. That bill was $295 million…versus the estimated $600 million to build a new stadium.

As a Packer fan, I want the Vikings to stay as well, but unless Ziggy opens his pocketbook, or the fans pony up…that may not happen.

Now back to the real fun……BTW…Vikings fans…did you see who won Superbowl XLV? Who is going to Miss. to fetch the ol’ gunslinger this year? Just checking….

aznredneck says:
Apr 1, 2011 8:34 AM
..MN finally has a voice from the governor. one who actually has stepped up and said that he would fully support and pass a stadium bill if one was drawn up.
——-

Not quite that simple. There’s no way Dayton signs a bill that spends a lot of public money– Why? Because the MN state senate & house of reps (Repub majority in both) are busy passing bills to “fix the budget” that would essentially gut all state health & human services funding, and Dayton is going to veto every last one of them. The way these bills are being written, he has no choice. It’d be political suicide to sign them into law.

We have a massive deficit. It’s going to be really difficult for him to approve state money for a non-essential issue like a sports stadium when he’s vetoing every bill that would in theory save the state money. If you think a democratic governor is going to save the Vikings at the expense of the middle and lower classes, you’re out of your mind.

in short, it’s a hot mess over here, and very little is going to get done about anything.

I find it extremely funny and quite hypocritical that the people of Minnesota had no problems putting in their tax payer dollars to help build a new Twins stadium. However when it comes to a new Vikings stadium it’s all of a sudden a terrible thing and a waste of money. Why should I be forced to pay for improvements to any of the parks that I don’t use? Or for improvements to the Walker or any of the other artsy things we have? If it’s ok for me to pay for things I don’t use or care about then it’s ok for you (the taxpayers in Minnesota who don’t want a stadium) to pay for a stadium because it’s something that I care about!

No they are not. The latest AEG mirage is just like the other plans they trotted out. A press release, a nice model, and then nothing is ever heard about it again.

cusoman says:Apr 1, 2011 9:44 AM

What’s with this site’s over-inflated sense of doubt anytime there’s a story about a Vikes stadium bill? This is the exact same path that the Twins stadium took, having major opposition to public financing, but winning out in the end anyway and everyone being happy about the facility because it’s modern and everyone loves new things.

The reality is that the NFL DOES in fact care about this market and have more than likely been working behind the scenes flexing all the right muscles and talking to all the right people. There are ways to get this done without just increasing taxes, and the conversations have largely been on those alternative methods such as hotel and car rental taxes, scratch off lottery ticket funding, and racinos. This deal will get done, and there’s just as many reasons to think positively about that happening as there are the reasons to think negatively, so stop focusing on that and casting so much doubt.

My point is: you can go through any team and find something wrong with them and list out facts, but guess what, unlike you, i’m not obsessed with doing that and listing every little detail that you did with the vikings.

and yes, you do have too much time on your hands and your hatred for the MN vikings is portrayed in your comments about the team.

and again, what does that have to do with the stadium bill?

cusoman says:Apr 1, 2011 9:48 AM

JimmySmith says:
Apr 1, 2011 7:26 AM

That’s not saying the bill will pass, Minnesota politicians are actually dumber than the fan base if that is even humanly possible.

————

Yeah, because the politicos in WI right now are being viewed SO favorably by the rest of the nation. Get over yourself.

blaz0037 says:Apr 1, 2011 9:58 AM

I am a Minnesotan, born and raised.

last election, voters were given a choice. It went something like this….

….do you approve of a .25% sales tax increase (guaranteed to last 25 years) to go towards “wildlife and park recreation”?

and despite Minnesota having parks and bikepaths at every corner, Minnesotans voted YES in a landslide (not me of course).

and now the people are up in arms because they want to impose a TEMPORARY increase to sales tax in 2 counties? I just don’t get it.

kennyrogerschicken says:Apr 1, 2011 10:02 AM

kotapug –

Yeah, that makes sense. Toll roads. Maybe we can spend some of that toll road money to help rehire all the cops Minneapolis lost due to budget cuts. Nah, spend that money on the Vikes, they’re hurting for some help.

And please figure out the difference between “there” and “their”. Seriously.

Really because there has been cop layoffs ?
Minneapolis has 2.6 per 1000
St.Paul 1.97 per 1000
Both are above the national average so I think the people will be ok .But if you are scared crawl back into bed with your mommy.

When are they gonna stick this loser franchise on that ammo dump already? Perfect place for ‘em! Make it go BOOM! And you can skol that…

brewdogg says:Apr 2, 2011 9:57 AM

goombar2 says:
Apr 1, 2011 6:44 PM
When are they gonna stick this loser franchise on that ammo dump already? Perfect place for ‘em! Make it go BOOM! And you can skol that…

———————————————-

Yeah…. Makes me wish football was played in April.

Vikings vs Packers, April 1st, 7PM.

“Attention Packers: Kickoff has been moved up to 1pm”

BOOM!!!!!!!!

Now that’s a good April Fools joke…..

theytukrjobs says:Apr 2, 2011 10:24 AM

People ignore the scale of the money involved. Compared to the total state budget, paying for a stadium over a 25 year period of time is a miniscule amount of money. I mean, you don’t want to treat every single cost like this but in the grand scheme of things it isn’t like we’re going to go broke building this thing.

Plus, you do get ancillary benifits. The stadiums generate tax money. They bring in out of state money that we wouldn’t normally get. If the stadium is built with a roof, as it should be, then it provides a location for Final Four’s that bring in a ton of outstate money. They also get our state recognized nationally. And of course it gives us a venue for high school state tourney’s and motocross and concerts and Democtratic conventions and things of that nature.

Mid market teams get public money for their stadiums. It is just the way it is. If the state doesn’t pay a large portion of the bill, then the team will be gone and we will no longer have a large indoor multipurpose facility.

The bill will get done unless our politicians are completely useless.

recon163 says:Apr 2, 2011 1:21 PM

@theytukrjobs:

“People ignore the scale of the money involved. Compared to the total state budget, paying for a stadium over a 25 year period of time is a miniscule amount of money.”

This is a strange comment. If that is your argument then the same can be said of any other public outlay. Schools? Higher education? Anything is miniscule when compared to the overall state budget.

“I mean, you don’t want to treat every single cost like this but in the grand scheme of things it isn’t like we’re going to go broke building this thing.”

So it is OK to look at the stadium this way but not anything else? So why is the stadium is so special that it deserves to be looked at this way?

“Plus, you do get ancillary benifits.”

I’ll just post up this quote from the Heartland Institute: “A July 2007 article from Reason Public Policy Institute researchers Samuel Staley and Leonard Gilroy notes, “More than 20 years of academic research has failed to find a significant relationship between an investment in a sports stadium and significant job or income growth.”

The best argument against public financing comes from the Cato Institute, ” . . .many of the individual elements have a positive impact that is offset by another element that carries a negative impact. For example, the arrival of a new basketball franchise in a metropolitan area increases real per capita income by about $67. But building a new arena for that basketball team reduces real per capita income by almost $73 in each of the 10 years following the construction of the arena, leading to a net loss of about $6 per person.” They offer other examples as well.

“They bring in out of state money that we wouldn’t normally get.”

Unless of course you impose a hotel, convention center, or rental car tax on visitors. In which case you may get 8 weekends of football fans but will lose business the rest of the year as the folks you use those rooms realize it costs more to visit Minnesota.

“Mid market teams get public money for their stadiums. If the state doesn’t pay a large portion of the bill, then the team will be gone and we will no longer have a large indoor multipurpose facility.”

All teams get public money. The question is how much is reasonable to pay out? And doesn’t Minneapolis have an indoor multipurpose facility now?

What Minnesota doesn’t have is a indoor multipurpose facility with an ample supply of club seats and about 300 suites that are not part of the NFL’s shared revenue calculations so that Ziggy can keep more revenues. That is the problem with the Metrodome, Ziggy has to share the revenues coming in.

You should just hope that Minnesota doesn’t end up like so many other states as the NY Times noted, “New Jerseyans are hardly alone in paying for stadiums that no longer exist. Residents of Seattle’s King County owe more than $80 million for the Kingdome, which was razed in 2000. The story has been similar in Indianapolis and Philadelphia. In Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Memphis and Pittsburgh, residents are paying for stadiums and arenas that were abandoned by the teams they were built for.”

So which of the two make them worthless: Not getting a stadium or saddling the people with more debt?

Interesting how clubs for childhood games can take priority over creating environments favorable for real jobs and careers. Jobs are leaving the state hand over fist and we have the NFL whining about needing public assistance to pay for a stadium. When the ball players make a better then average salary, for playing a childhood game, they aren’t really bettering anyone’s lives. The ticket prices are high for what they do, The salaries they pay the players and they can’t give up some drugs, hookers or alcohol to pitch in for their guarenteed employment? You would think they could sacrafice some of their luxuries when so many are without. Especially now when we have a money hungry governor in office, who doesn’t even do anything to better the state llike have his own money in one of MN’s own banks. This government we have hired hasn’t cut it in my humble opinions. There are so many things they can do to cut back on spending and even entertaining the ideas or knuckling under to the NFL just shows where the priorties truely lie. This is not in the best interest of MN by taxing people who won’t ever set foot in the arena as it is I haven’t set foot in the Twins (had to have it) ball field. It is rediculous that these idiots we hired can’t be fired but they collect pensions at our expense. We need to put a stop to this craziness.